New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams. Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pair of Jets receivers named 'cut candidates' for 2025

By Bruce Ewing | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 12:14 PM ET

Now that the Jets are preparing to move on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, is there any reason to keep his two favorite receivers? Not according to NFL Network’s Matt Okada.

Rodgers arrived with the Jets via a trade with the Packers in April of 2023, six weeks after the team signed former Green Bay receiver Allen Lazard to four-year, $44M contract. Davante Adams joined the team seven games into the 2024 season after a trade with the Raiders. Adams spent the first eight years of his career with Rodgers in Green Bay.

Lazard got off to a fast start last season with five touchdowns in the team's first six games but then went five games without a score before finding the end zone in a 32-20 win over the Dolphins to end the regular season. Adams had 854 yards and seven touchdowns as a Jet in 2024, including 198 yards and two scores against the Jaguars in Week 15.

71-YARD RUN TO THE END ZONE!!!#NYJvsJAX on FOX pic.twitter.com/XK3rBXayBe
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 15, 2024

But as Okada points out, releasing the 33-year-old receiver now would immediately save the team nearly $30M in cap space but a post June 1 release would save them $36M against the cap. Lazard’s release would save the Jets $11M in 2024.

Of course, someone will have to catch the ball for the Jets. Fortunately, Garrett Wilson has one year left on his contract with a reasonable cap number of $6.5M. Wilson led the team in receiving in each of his first three seasons and scored a career-high seven touchdowns last season.

No matter what happens, the team will still look to add another wide receiver through free agency or the draft, especially if it expects to lose Wilson to another team in 2026. The 24-year-old receiver didn’t always see eye-to-eye with Rodgers, so a lot will depend on what the team does at quarterback this year.

Keep an eye on Detroit’s Tim Patrick. The 6'5", 210-pound free agent played 16 games for the Lions last year where new Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand served as the Lions passing game coordinator.

Bruce Ewing

Bruce Ewing is 183 pounds of twisted steel and Happy Meals. His work has appeared on Yardbarker, 5th Down Fantasy, Inside the Iggles and MSN. Give a Philly fan a break and follow him on Twitter/X at @fantasybruce.

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